Agenda
25-0206. Proclamation - Emergency Medical Services Week (5min)
The Board is requested to proclaim May 18-24, 2025, as EMS Week in Durham County in recognition of the essential service provided by the Durham County Emergency Medical Services System.
25-0217. Resolution - Memorial Day 2025 (5min)
The Board is requested to adopt the attached resolution declaring May 26, 2025, Memorial Day in Durham County in remembrance of the county ’s 375 known soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen who died at war.
25-0251. Proclamation for Mental Health Awareness Month (5min)
The Board is requested to proclaim May 2025 is Mental Health Awareness Month . The Justice Services Department is committed to serving individuals suffering from Mental Illness in the Durham Community. There are several programs and services dedicated to ensuring accessible and appropriate mental health services in Durham . Jail Mental Health, Mental Health Court, Jail Transitions and several other programs and workgroups are designed to ensure the proper diagnosis, treatment and continuity of care that is required for our most vulnerable citizens.
25-0253. Proclamation - Treatment Court Month (5min)
The Board is requested to proclaim May 2025 as Treatment Court Month. For over three decades, the treatment court community nationwide has come together in May to shine the light on the success of treatment courts. This year, Treatment Court Month comes amid increased interest in seeking alternative options to incarceration that focus on increased coordination and access to behavioral health services . Treatment Courts and other specialty courts have proven to be very effective in addressing the needs of individuals in our community that struggle with substance use disorders.
25-0176. Letter of Support for Application for Clean Water Act Section 319(h) Grant
The Board is requested to authorize the Chair to sign a letter of support for application to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources (DWR) for funding under the Clean Water Act Section 319(h) Nonpoint Source Grant Funding Program. The funding will support the construction of a bioretention pond and education and outreach associated with the Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park Stream Restoration Project. Through Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act, the U .S. Environmental Protection Agency provides states with funding to reduce nonpoint source pollution. North Carolina typically receives around $1 million for competitive funding of watershed restoration projects. Funds may be used to conduct watershed restoration projects such as stormwater and agricultural best management practices and restoration of impaired streams. Section 319 grant projects must be used to help restore waterbodies currently impaired by nonpoint source pollution in areas with approved watershed restoration plans. The Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park Stream Restoration Project was identified in the County Stormwater Nutrient Management Strategy as a potential project for compliance with the Falls Lake Nutrient Management Rules. The project consists of approximately 1,500 linear feet of stream restoration and a bioretention pond to treat stormwater on the property. The stream restoration project will remove sources of nitrogen and phosphorous from streambank erosion - helping the County meet the nutrient requirements of the Falls Lake Rules - while also reducing flooding impacts to residents of Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park. The total estimated project cost is $ 2.1 million. The County previously applied for and received a $ 400,000 Local Assistance for Stormwater Infrastructure Investments (LASII) grant from the North Carolina Division of Water Infrastructure to cover the planning efforts for the Whispering Pines project. The County also received $500,000 from the Division of Soil and Water ’s Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program (StRAP). The County continues to seek additional grant funding for the project, an important part of meeting the County Stormwater Program ’s Guiding Principle of “Efficiency with Stormwater Utility Fee revenues .” The County is applying for an additional $ 600,000 in funding from the Water Resources Development Grant Program. The County is seeking $ 240,000 from the 319(h) Grant Program. Applications are due May 30, 2025.
25-0177. Approve Membership Agreement Memorandum of Understanding in the amount of $3,537 with the Clean Water Education Partnership (CWEP)
The Board is requested to authorize the County Manager to sign the Membership Agreement Memorandum of Understanding for the Clean Water Education Partnership Services provided by the Central Pines Regional Council in accordance with the attached Membership Memorandum of Understanding and fee schedule. The Clean Water Education Partnership (CWEP) is a cooperative effort between local governments and state agencies to protect water quality in the Tar -Pamlico, Neuse, and Cape Fear River Basins. CWEP aims to protect North Carolina ’s waterways from stormwater pollution through public education and outreach. CWEP helps public entities communicate the important fact that clean water is vital for healthy ecosystems and a high quality of life for area residents. It is our goal to create a unified messaging about stormwater and pollution throughout our partner regions. We accomplish this through two main avenues: in-person education at community festivals, after school programs, libraries, and classroom visits; and mass media outreach campaigns via digital, radio, television, print, and cinema ads in English and Spanish. Durham County has been a member of CWEP since September 2003. The current Memorandum of Agreement will expire on June 30, 2025.
25-0201. Authorize the County Manager to Execute a Contract with Design Workshop, Inc., for Framework Planning Design Services, Including Community Engagement Services, for the Orange Factory Road Nature Preserve and Farm Campus Totaling an Amount Not-To-Exceed $295,658.00.
The Board is requested to authorize the County Manager to execute a contract with Design Workshop, Inc. upon completion of the contract and approval by the County Attorney's Office, for Framework Planning Design Services, including community engagement services, for the Orange Factory Road Nature Preserve and Farm Campus totaling an amount not -to-exceed $ 295,658.00 ($268,780.00 basic services plus 10% reimbursable expenses). Funding for this has been identified and is available in the Orange Factory Road Farm Capital Project budget (4730DC163). The County purchased the 129-acre property at the corner of Orange Factory Road and North Roxboro Road (308 Orange Factory Road) in February 2024 with Open Space Funds and County General Funds. This parcel was acquired for conservation, recreation, agriculture, and education purposes, and specifically to protect water quality, wildlife habitat and connectivity, and provide opportunities for low -impact recreation and agricultural education. Deed restrictions and zoning limit impervious surface development. The site currently does not currently have water or sewer services. Please see the attached AAF Supplemental for additional information about the site. Request for Qualifications (RFQ) No. 25-012 Architectural & Engineering Design Services for Orange Factory Road Nature Preserve and Farm Campus was advertised on October 6, 2024, and received three responses by the November 12, 2024 proposal deadline. These responses were evaluated by representatives from the Open Space and Real Estate and Project Management Divisions of County Engineering, Cooperative Extension Services, and a County Management Fellow . Soil and Water Conservation District staff additionally advised the Evaluation Committee. Design Workshop, Inc. was selected as the most qualified firm for this project. Please see Attachment 2 for Design Workshop ’s Proposal for Framework Planning Design Services, Attachment 3 for the Bid Tabulation, and attachment 4 for the MWBE Compliance Review Form certifying 25% MWBE participation. This Framework Plan development process will include extensive mapping, site analysis, and public engagement in close coordination with prospective partner departments, divisions, and organizations. The resulting Framework Plan will outline the uses and site layout that best addresses the conservation /restoration, agricultural, and education goals of the County, detail operations and maintenance expenses, and recommend phasing to best leverage state and federal funding for construction.
25-0211. Authorize the County Manager to execute a contract amendment for radio tower design services in the amount of $136,304 with O’Brien Atkins Architects, for a total revised contract amount not to exceed $4,956,814 for the Emergency Operations Center, Backup 911, and Sheriff’s Backup Call Center.
The Board is requested to Authorize the County Manager to execute a contract amendment for radio tower design services in the amount of $ 136,304 with O ’Brien Atkins Architects, for a total revised contract amount not to exceed $ 4,956,814 for the Emergency Operations Center, Backup 911, and Sheriff’s Backup Call Center. As the project team went through the stages of schematic design for this project, it became apparent that the new facility would also require a radio tower to facilitate the operational needs of the backup 911 call center. Radio Tower Design is above and beyond the original scope of work for the facility, in which O ’Brien Atkins has provided a proposal in conjunction with Mission Critical Partners (MCP) to provide technical specifications, regulatory & construction oversight, and Microwave implementation. These services are crucial to ensuring that all federal, state, and local codes and requirements are met to maintain secure and expedient 911/emergency communications services. Funding for this amendment is available in the previously approved Capital Project account.
25-0225. Approval of the FY25 Durham Transit Plan Q4 Work Program Amendment in the amount of $158,000.00.
The Board is requested to approve an amendment to the FY 25 Durham Transit Work Program. As part of the appropriations process for the Durham County Transit Plan, an annual Work Program is developed which includes a budget for the upcoming fiscal year . The Transit Plan Governance Interlocal Agreement (ILA) determines the process by which the annual budget is developed and approved and requires approval by the Durham Board of County Commissioners (“BOCC”) and the GoTriangle Board of Trustees. The Staff Working Group (“SWG”) recommended approval of an amendment to the FY5 Durham Transit Work Program at their meeting held on April 14, 2025. The BOCC is requested to adopt the amendment. A memo from the Staff Working Group Administrator is attached and describing the amendment. A summary of the amendment is as follows: 1. Amendment for Low Income Fare Pass (Transit Assistance Program) a. Net Increase to FY25 Work Program is $118,000 b. Decrease Youth GoPass by $14,000 c. Decrease Fare Collection Improvements by $14,000 d. Increase Low Income Fare Pass by $146,000 2. Amendment for Paratransit Expansion a. Increases FY25 Work Program by $40,000 The total increase to the FY25 Durham Transit Work Program is $158,000.
25-0227. Approval of the Final Recommended FY26 Durham Annual Transit Work Program
The Board is requested to approve the Final Recommended FY 26 Durham Annual Transit Work Program (“Work Program”). As part of the appropriations process for the Durham County Transit Plan, an annual Work Program is developed and includes a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The 2023 Transit Governance Interlocal Agreement (“ILA”) determines the process by which the annual budget is developed and approved. Under the guidance of the ILA, the Work Program requires approval by the Durham Board of County Commissioners (“BOCC”) and the GoTriangle Board of Trustees. The BOCC received an informational presentation at the Work Session held on February 3rd. At the Staff Working Group (“SWG”) meeting held on April 14, 2025, the FY 26 Work Program was recommended for approval by a vote of 4-0. The final recommended Work Program and the public engagement report are attached for reference.
25-0243. Approve the Proposed City-County Planning Department FY26 Work Program
The Board is requested to approve the proposed City -County Planning Department FY26 Work Program.
25-0248. Approval of Durham County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC) Local Funding Plan Recommendation for FY 2025-2026
25-0249. Approval to Allow the County Manager to Enter into a Service Contract with Sunland Fire Protection, Inc. to Remove and Install New Fire Pump and Control Panel at the Durham County Detention Center in the amount of $266,985.00.
The Board is requested to allow the County Manager to enter into a service contract with Sunland Fire Protection to remove the existing inoperable fire pump and associated control panel and replace both with new units. This system is a critical part of the Life Safety infrastructure of the Durham County Detention Center, providing pressurized water for the fire sprinkler system.
25-0250. Approval to Allow the County Manager to Enter into a Contract with Pipe Techs Plumbing, LLC to Removal and Installation Backflow Preventers at the Durham County Detention Center in the Amount of $122,359.00.
The Board is requested to allow the County Manager to enter into a contract with Pipe Techs Plumbing, LLC to remove and install two (2) backflow preventers at the Durham County Detention Center. The existing backflow preventer, installed originally in 1992, has become damaged over the course of its life. It is required to be replaced as part of the fire pump replacement directly affecting the Life & Safety of the building occupants. A second backflow preventer will be installed as a redundancy.
25-0252. Transfer of $18,000 Between Approved ARPA Awards from Knox Street Studios to Forward Cities to Provide Additional Small Business Counseling Services
The Board is requested to approve the transfer of $ 18,000 between ARPA approved awards from Knox Street Studios to Forward Cities to provide additional small business counseling services. As part of the Board ’s strategic plan for administering the County ’s American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding, the Board initially authorized the use of $ 1,500,000 to implement a comprehensive entrepreneurial ecosystem that included targeted support for small businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic. After the applications were reviewed, staff recommended, and the Board approved the initial award to Forward Cities (FC), as well as a second grant award of $ 750,000 to Knox St. Studios (KSS). Funding for both awards was approved by the BOCC on December 11, 2023. The FC contract was approved on March 25, 2024, and the KSS contract was approved on April 29, 2024. Both contracts have an end date of June 30,2026. The transfer will increase the Forward Cities award to $ 1,518,000. The $ 18,000 will be utilized to provide 300 hours of small business counseling that will be administered by Forward Cities E 3 Durham Navigators. FC Navigators are currently providing general counseling services and are best positioned to deliver this program component that was originally in the KSS contract. As a result, the KSS contract will also be modified with similar offsets that reflect the change in funding award. In September 2023, Durham County issued a Request for Proposal for a Small Business Support Program (RFP) to create and maintain a comprehensive entrepreneurial support system that provides targeted support for qualifying small business operating in Durham County. The two main priorities of the RFP were to (1) Establish and Maintain an Entrepreneurial Support System for Small Business Owners Impacted by the COVID -19 Pandemic, and (2) Provide Targeted Small Business Support for Qualifying Small Business.
25-0258. Approval of Interlocal Agreement between Durham County, Orange County, and the Town of Chapel Hill related to Durham County administering the billing and collection of the Solid Waste Program Fee for property located within the Town of Chapel Hill but lying within the limits of Durham County
The Board is requested to approve an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) between the County of Durham, the County of Orange County, and the Town of Chapel Hill related to Durham County administering the billing and collection of the Solid Waste Program Fee for property located within the Town of Chapel Hill but lying within the limits of Durham County. Discussions have taken place between Durham County, Orange County, and the Town of Chapel Hill regarding how all entities can support the collection process . Orange County and Durham County are public bodies, political and corporate, under the laws of the State of North Carolina and are vested pursuant to Article 20 of North Carolina General Statutes with the power and authority to enter into this Interlocal Agreement.
25-0261. Approval of Closed Session Minutes
The Board is requested to approve the following unsealed Closed Session Minutes that the County Attorney has determined that public inspection would no longer frustrate the purpose of a closed session. · April 2, 2018 · May 28, 2024 · July 8, 2024 · August 26, 2024 All minutes were related to the following statute: To consult with an attorney employed or retained by the public body in order to preserve the attorney -client privilege between the attorney and the public body, to discuss the National Opioid Litigation which privilege is hereby acknowledged; pursuant to G. S. 143- 318.11(a) (3) The minutes have been sent to the Board under separate cover.
25-0244. Public Hearing - TC2400003: A Privately Initiated Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Text Amendment (30min)
The Board is requested to conduct a public hearing to receive comments and consider the following motions: Motion 1: To adopt an ordinance amending the Unified Development Ordinance, incorporating revisions to Article 3 Applications and Permits. Motion 2: To adopt a Consistency Statement as required by N. C. G. S. Sec. 160D-605. Summary Text Amendment TC 2400003 is a privately initiated request to amend Section 3.26, Statutory Development Agreement, of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), in order to allow flexibility within the limitations imposed upon statutory development agreements. Attachments A. Application Materials Submitted by the Applicant B. TC2400003 Draft Ordinance Language (Track Changes Version).
25-0245. Public Hearing - Zoning Map Change - East Club at 85 (45min)
The Board is requested to conduct a public hearing and receive public comments on the Zoning Map Change East Club at 85 (Z2400032), and consider the following motions: First Motion : To adopt an ordinance amending the Unified Development Ordinance by taking property out of the Residential Rural and Commercial Neighborhood, Falls/Jordan Watershed Overlay District B, Major Transportation Corridor I -85, and establishing the same as Commercial General with a Textual Development plan, Falls/Jordan Watershed Overlay District B, Major Transportation Corridor I -85.; and Second Motion : To adopt a Consistency Statement as required by N .C.G.S. Sec.160D-605. Summary Nil Ghosh, of Morningstar Law Group, proposes to change the zoning designation of seven parcels of land totaling 13.96 acres and located along East Club Boulevard just east of I -85. The current zoning is Residential Rural (RR) and Commercial Neighborhood (CN). The applicant proposes to change this designation to Commercial General with a textual development plan (CG(D)) to allow most by -right uses as defined in the UDO, with the exclusion of some. Attachments Attachment A - Zoning Context Map Attachment B - Aerial Map Attachment C - Place Type Map Attachment D - Eno-New Hope Wildlife Corridor Map Attachment E - Comprehensive Plan Consistency Review Attachment F - Zoning Ordinance Attachment G - Consistency Statement Attachment H - Planning Commission Written Comments
25-0246. Public Hearing - Page/Miami Design District Text Amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance - This text amendment is proposed in conjunction with the staff initiated zoning map change for the area southeast of Research Triangle Park (RTP) between NC Highway 54, Davis Drive, Hopson Road, Page Road, and South Miami Boulevard to encourage multimodal transit-oriented development and support future publicly funded transportation projects. (30min)
The Board is requested to conduct a public hearing and receive comments and, if appropriate, approve the text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance , with the following motions: Motion 1: To adopt an ordinance amending the Unified Development Ordinance, incorporating revisions to Article 11, Sign Standards and Article 16, Design Districts; and Motion 2: To adopt a Consistency Statement as required by N .C.G.S. Sec. 160D-605. Summary The Page /Miami Design District is the next application of the Compact Suburban Design District after it was established alongside the Patterson Place Design District in 2019. While looking at the Page /Miami area in context, staff initiated two technical text amendments for clarity. Unified Development Ordinance Text Amendment (TC2400002) contains a set of minor revisions to the UDO. Attachments Attachment A: Unified Development Ordinance TC 2400002 (Track Changes Version) Attachment B: Consistency Statement Attachment C: Planning Commission Written Comments
25-0270. Approval of a Support Letter for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
The Board is requested to approve and sign a support letter for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to members of Congress to urge them to protect SNAP funding. SNAP is the nation ’s largest and most impactful federally funded nutrition program. SNAP provides critical food benefits to help more than 35,000 Durham County residents afford nutritious food. Forty-six percent of these residents are under 18 years of age and nearly 10% are over 65 years old. SNAP not only improves food security but has also been shown to improve health outcomes. This results in improved educational attainment for our children and reduced Medicaid costs for our state. SNAP also strengthens the local economy as benefits are spent at farmers markets and grocery stores. Recent federal budget proposals include significant cuts to SNAP benefits and added restrictions to program eligibility. These proposals would have devasting effects for Durham communities as 12% of our residents are food insecure. The cuts would further reduce food access, including limiting eligibility for school meals. It would also overburden our already strained food pantries and would negatively impact our local economy. Board members requested the opportunity to submit a letter and requested staff to prepare a letter reflecting the local impact.
25-0256. FY 2025-26 Manager’s Recommended Budget Presentation (45min)
25-0267. Resolution Honoring the Life and Career of Durham County EMS Lieutenant Kevin M. O’Connor (5min)
The Board is requested to issue a resolution honoring the life and career of Durham County Emergency Medical Services Lieutenant Kevin M. O’Connor who passed away on April 28, 2025, after nearly 25 years of service to Durham County and to authorize flags to be flown at half-staff on the day of his memorial service.
25-0271. Approval of a Support Letter for the Medicaid Program
The Board is requested to approve and sign a support letter for the Medicaid Program to members of Congress to protect Medicaid funding. Medicaid is one of the most powerful tools that North Carolina has to improve the health and well -being of our residents and reduce the burden of their medical debt . About one in four of our residents (76,639 people), rely on Medicaid to access medical care. Nearly 45,000 of these residents are under 18 or over 65 years old, over 7,000 are disabled and over 1,000 pregnant women receive Medicaid in our county. Any cut to Medicaid will be of great detriment to our state. North Carolina is one of nine states with “trigger laws” that will reverse Medicaid expansion if federal matching funds for the program drop below 90% of costs for those covered under the expansion. Nearly 17,000 Durham residents and 640,000 North Carolinians currently access health insurance through Medicaid Expansion. If Medicaid is cut, these North Carolina residents will lose their health coverage.